Published: “Fragments, Studies in Iconology 14”

Fragments is a celebratory publication, compiled for ‘The Right Moment: A Symposium on Kairotic Energies’ organised by Barbara Baert in collaboration with the Francqui Foundation, published within the series Studies in Iconology. Fragments and ‘The Right Moment’ are Barbara Baert’s response to her being awarded the Francqui Prize Human Sciences in 2016. This publication and symposium meant to encourage a deeper understanding of our artistic environments, and both are tokens of her gratitude.

Fragments loosely conceptualised as a ‘glossary’. It consists of hundred-and-ten lemmata, from Acheiropoieton to Zwischenraum. Each lemma presents a short experimental or even a poetic musing defining concepts and terms that frequently occur in iconology in general, and Barbara Baert’s writings in particular. Most lemmata are accompanied by images of iconic artefacts and thus invite readers to embrace the beauty of these artefacts, the multiple disciplines and genres that are continuously crossing each other not only in Fragments, but also in the Humanities and art.

Studies in Iconology is a peer-reviewed series, published by Peeters Publishers, and founded by Barbara Baert, who is also editor-in-chief. The series accepts interdisciplinary contributions that deepen the understanding of the visual medium, alongside the history of mankind, by combining insights from art history, cultural anthropology, philosophy and theology. Its volumes are original, thought-evoking, and often somewhat daring or experimental. Since the contributions generally are too long for an article and too short for a book, Studies in Iconology finds itself in an ‘in-between position’ inviting authors to lend more essayistic qualities to their writings. Fragments is the fourteenth volume published within this series.